Latest news with #KotaroHayashi
The Mainichi
a day ago
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Football: Machida beat Gamba, go top of table with 8th straight win
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Kotaro Hayashi poached the decisive goal in the 78th minute Wednesday as Machida Zelvia defeated Gamba Osaka 3-1 and moved to the top of the J-League first division with their eighth straight win. The western Tokyo club, set to kick off their Asian Champions League Elite campaign next month, moved up to 49 points to lead the J1 on goal difference ahead of Vissel Kobe, who beat 10-man Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1-0 in a clash between Japan's other ACLE representatives. Skipper Gen Shoji put Go Kuroda's men ahead in the 17th minute at their Machida Gion Stadium stronghold when he headed in from a corner kick. The visitors traded blows with the in-form hosts and were rewarded with an equalizer in the 61st minute when Swedish forward Deniz Hummet finished a quick counterattack from close range. Hayashi poked home for a 2-1 lead after Gamba keeper Jun Ichimori fumbled Oh Se Hun's header, and Takuma Nishimura sealed the victory with a 90th-minute penalty kick resulting from a foul by Keisuke Kurokawa in the area. At Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima, two-time defending champions Kobe grabbed all three points on the road through an 87th-minute own goal after piling up the pressure against a Sanfrecce side that went a man down following Sho Sasaki's 57th-minute red card. Kim Ju Sung was charged with the own goal after Hiroshima goalkeeper Keisuke Osako's attempt to punch clear a corner kick was inadvertently blocked by the South Korean defender's body, sending the ball rebounding into the net. After 27 games, Machida and Kobe sit one point ahead of overnight leaders Kyoto Sanga and Kashima Antlers, both of whom have played 26. Kashiwa Reysol are a further point back in the tightly contested title race, with Hiroshima remaining on 46 points in sixth place.
The Mainichi
17-05-2025
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Football: Machida win 3-0 to end Kashiwa's 11-game unbeaten run
MACHIDA, Japan (Kyodo) -- Machida Zelvia stopped second-place Kashiwa Reysol's 11-game unbeaten run in the J-League first division on Saturday, claiming a 3-0 win for their first home victory in two months. Leaders Kashima Antlers held off Shimizu S-Pulse 1-0 for their seventh straight win to move up to 37 points and four points above Kashiwa, while Machida are up to sixth on 24 points with their first win in four games. Playing on a tricky rain-soaked pitch at Machida Gion Stadium, Kotaro Hayashi scrambled home the opener inside four minutes after Keiya Sento's low drive from 25 meters out was saved by Ryosuke Kojima. Hayashi was the architect for their second 12 minutes later when he got a return ball following his throw-in down the left and sent a fast cross that hit Kashiwa defender Taiyo Koga to bounce into the net. Kashiwa, who came into the game with a two-day rest, fell further behind in the first-half stoppage time as Na Sang Ho fired a penalty high into the net after Oh Se Hun was brought down inside the box for the home side. The visitors, who had won their previous four games, finally had a big chance in the 77th minute, but substitute forward Yuki Kakita could not convert a close-range shot off a left-wing cross on a bounce, summing up a forgettable outing for the entire team. "We hadn't won at home for quite a while, and I knew the first goal was going to be really important," Hayashi said. "I think we have to win here all the time, and we'll keep working hard." Elsewhere, third-placed Kyoto Sanga moved up to 31 points after easing to a 3-0 win at bottom side Yokohama F Marinos, who are 10 points off safety after their sixth straight defeat and winless in 10 games. Sanfrecce Hiroshima are up to 29 points following their late 2-1 comeback win over Tokyo Verdy, level with Urawa Reds, who downed FC Tokyo 3-2. Yuya Osako hit a brace as Vissel Kobe edged local rivals Gamba Osaka 3-2, Avispa Fukuoka snatched a late 1-1 draw with Nagoya Grampus, and Yokohama FC moved out of the relegation zone with a 1-0 win at Shonan Bellmare.
